Lawsuits, Courts & Mediation

When people have disputes that need to be settled, they can seek a decision from a court (by filing a lawsuit) or from another party outside of the court system (such as an arbitrator or mediator.)

The term “litigation” means to contest or engage someone in a lawsuit. A civil action is a lawsuit brought by an injured party (the “plaintiff”) who claims to have suffered damages as a result of the wrongful actions of another party (the “defendant.”) Litigation allows for each party to obtain more evidence about their case (discovery and interrogatories), call witnesses to testify and argue the merits of their case. A judge or jury will render a verdict after both sides present their case. The U.S. court system consists primarily of federal courts (making decisions concerning federal law and disputes between residents of different states), state courts, city and municipal courts, appeals courts and courts of special jurisdiction. Small Claims Court is used mostly by consumers to settle small disputes. It is locally accessible, more informal and less costly than most civil courts which usually suggest the need for a lawyer. Arbitration and mediation are alternative forms of resolving legal disputes outside of the court system which are usually less costly, more informal and move more quickly to a conclusion.

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Ofer Tirosh
5 min read
Views
2,630
Courtroom interpreters play a crucial role in ensuring that the US justice system is able to serve the needs of individuals with low English proficiency. Census data in the past decade has shown that the number of LEP individuals in the United States has reached 25 million, making court...
Michael Wechsler
Updated
4 min read
Views
6,068
Reaction score
1
What is the Statute of Limitations? Why is it necessary? This article is a transcript of the legal presentation covering the Statute of Limitations. What is the Statute of Limitations? The Statute of Limitations is a law which limits the amount of time after something happens for which a case...
Michael Wechsler
3 min read
Views
13,389
The Oregon Statute of Limitations for civil actions sets a time limit after an injury or civil wrong occurs, during which an injured party can file a lawsuit. After that period of time expires, the injured party is no longer permitted to file a claim in an Oregon state court to litigate that...
Michael Wechsler
3 min read
Views
12,057
The Utah Statute of Limitations for civil actions sets a time limit after an injury or civil wrong occurs, during which an injured party can file a lawsuit. After that period of time expires, the injured party is no longer permitted to file a claim in an Utah state court to litigate that matter...
Michael Wechsler
3 min read
Views
13,578
The Oklahoma Statute of Limitations for civil actions sets a time limit after an injury or civil wrong occurs, during which an injured party can file a lawsuit. After that period of time expires, the injured party is no longer permitted to file a claim in an Oklahoma state court to litigate that...
Michael Wechsler
3 min read
Views
9,361
The Idaho Statute of Limitations for civil actions sets a time limit after an injury or civil wrong occurs, during which an injured party can file a lawsuit. After that period of time expires, the injured party is no longer permitted to file a claim in an Idaho state court to litigate that...
Michael Wechsler
3 min read
Views
13,106
The Iowa Statute of Limitations for civil actions sets a time limit after an injury or civil wrong occurs, during which an injured party can file a lawsuit. After that period of time expires, the injured party is no longer permitted to file a claim in an Iowa state court to litigate that matter...
Michael Wechsler
3 min read
Views
12,405
The Arkansas Statute of Limitations for civil actions sets a time limit after an injury or civil wrong occurs, during which an injured party can file a lawsuit. After that period of time expires, the injured party is no longer permitted to file a claim in an Arkansas state court to litigate that...
Michael Wechsler
3 min read
Views
7,626
The Alaska Statute of Limitations for civil actions sets a time limit after an injury or civil wrong occurs, during which an injured party can file a lawsuit. After that period of time expires, the injured party is no longer permitted to file a claim in an Alaska state court to litigate that...
Michael Wechsler
3 min read
Views
8,761
The District of Columbia Statute of Limitations for civil actions sets a time limit after an injury or civil wrong occurs, during which an injured party can file a lawsuit. After that period of time expires, the injured party is no longer permitted to file a claim in a District of Columbia state...
Michael Wechsler
3 min read
Views
8,495
The Washington Statute of Limitations for civil actions sets a time limit after an injury or civil wrong occurs, during which an injured party can file a lawsuit. After that period of time expires, the injured party is no longer permitted to file a claim in a Washington state court to litigate...
Michael Wechsler
3 min read
Views
8,913
The Wyoming Statute of Limitations for civil actions sets a time limit after an injury or civil wrong occurs, during which an injured party can file a lawsuit. After that period of time expires, the injured party is no longer permitted to file a claim in a Wyoming state court to litigate that...
Michael Wechsler
3 min read
Views
10,799
The Wisconsin Statute of Limitations for civil actions sets a time limit after an injury or civil wrong occurs, during which an injured party can file a lawsuit. After that period of time expires, the injured party is no longer permitted to file a claim in a Wisconsin state court to litigate...
Michael Wechsler
3 min read
Views
7,982
The West Virginia Statute of Limitations for civil actions sets a time limit after an injury or civil wrong occurs, during which an injured party can file a lawsuit. After that period of time expires, the injured party is no longer permitted to file a claim in a West Virginia state court to...
Michael Wechsler
3 min read
Views
13,279
The Virginia Statute of Limitations for civil actions sets a time limit after an injury or civil wrong occurs, during which an injured party can file a lawsuit. After that period of time expires, the injured party is no longer permitted to file a claim in a Virginia state court to litigate that...
Michael Wechsler
3 min read
Views
8,138
The Vermont Statute of Limitations for civil actions sets a time limit after an injury or civil wrong occurs, during which an injured party can file a lawsuit. After that period of time expires, the injured party is no longer permitted to file a claim in a Vermont state court to litigate that...
Michael Wechsler
3 min read
Views
11,715
The Tennessee Statute of Limitations for civil actions sets a time limit after an injury or civil wrong occurs, during which an injured party can file a lawsuit. After that period of time expires, the injured party is no longer permitted to file a claim in a Tennessee state court to litigate...
Michael Wechsler
Updated
3 min read
Views
7,279
The Rhode Island Statute of Limitations for civil actions sets a time limit after an injury or civil wrong occurs, during which an injured party can file a lawsuit. After that period of time expires, the injured party is no longer permitted to file a claim in a Rhode Island state court to...
Michael Wechsler
3 min read
Views
14,478
The Pennsylvania Statute of Limitations for civil actions sets a time limit after an injury or civil wrong occurs, during which an injured party can file a lawsuit. After that period of time expires, the injured party is no longer permitted to file a claim in a Pennsylvania state court to...
Michael Wechsler
3 min read
Views
5,607
The North Dakota Statute of Limitations for civil actions sets a time limit after an injury or civil wrong occurs, during which an injured party can file a lawsuit. After that period of time expires, the injured party is no longer permitted to file a claim in a North Dakota state court to...
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